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“I’ll text you when it’s time to go. Make sure she’s ready. We'll return in my car.”

“And mine?”

“Leave it here. I’ll send two of my guys back to collect it.”

Marko nodded, and I headed for the door.

“Be ready,” I warned before stepping into the elevator.

Chapter 4

Nicolette

I froze, my entire body tingling at the all-too-familiar sound of that deep, smoky tone laced with a certain combination of cynicism and rage that was Giovanni Vitale. I’d known he would come, eventually, when his sidekick stayed away too long. Yes, one could say I’d anticipated his arrival, but nothing prepared me for the effect he’d have on my body after all this time.

But his being here was not for me. He would have never come for me after what I did, but for Marko. The Vitale men protected what was theirs, and Gio had always felt like Marko, as his best friend, was his to protect.

I’d heard the story repeated so many times by one or the other of them. How Marko had seen a boy standing alone, surrounded by a group of bigger boys. How Gio had seemed unfazed, and despite that, Marko felt it unfair and stood at his back.

He wasn’t family, not in the traditional sense. No one who didn’t share the Vitale name or blood truly was. But he was family to Gio by choice, and twice now I’d come between them.

After Marko vacated the bedroom, I threw on one of his t-shirts and slipped downstairs, unnoticed by the two men. They were on the deck having a heated debate, that I could hear due to the doors being open.

As Marko recounted our conversation from several days ago, I could feel the anger and danger rolling off Gio. There was a moment of silence and I peeked through the blinds opposite my hiding place to see Giovanni sitting on the edge of a deck chair, his elbows on his thighs and his fingers steepled, a habit a few of the Vitale brothers had inherited from their father.

A coil of attraction tightened in my core and I instinctively pressed my thighs together. Gio was the epitome of beautiful danger, and time had been good to him. He was the same, yet different. Bigger, more attractive and way more dangerous than the last time I’d seen him from atop Marko’s shoulders as we celebrated the big win for our team. His eyes had remained fixed on me until I’d disappeared around the corner toward the dressing room.

Bitterness filled me with memories. I had my reasons for secretly disappearing that night, although I told no one of them at the time. After a long, sweaty victory kiss from Marko, he’d disappeared down the tunnel to the male changing rooms, but I’d stayed rooted for a few breaths until the danger I’d felt receded and I’d gotten the courage to peek around the corner to ensure I was alone, but that danger was still there, just waiting for a chance to pounce.

“This is stupid.” I pulled myself out of the memory of the last day I’d seen the guys. I was a grown woman with a life of my own. Being around the two of them had reduced me to the girl I used to be, and although it wasn’t such a bad thing, I’d momentarily lost who I was now.

“Explain what you’re talking about, and Marko, my patience is wearing thin, so speak clearly and quickly. I’m warning you.”

I wasn’t Marko, but that threat sent a shiver down my spine. I had to question how much Gio had changed on the inside after years of being in the family business. Was there anything left of the boy I used to know?

“Someone is trying to kill Nicolette. They’ve made several attempts, but luck has won out each time, and she’s walked away. The night she called me, the police had been to her place. A note was left on her table, saying that next time she wouldn’t walk away alive, that next time she wouldn’t see them coming. After the police left, offering her no help, she called me. I would have told you that night, but I didn’t want this turning into a family operation until I understood what I was dealing with. I thought someone raped her and was holding her captive.”

“That was almost a week ago, Marko. So why not come clean before now?”

“I’ve been hunting for the person responsible. He sends dead black roses daily, and no one has seen anything, and video surveillance hasn’t caught anyone either. This person is a ghost. I didn’t want to leave her unprotected.”

“I assume you’ve fucked her?”

My eyes widened and crimson bloomed on my cheeks at the question. Of course, Gio would want to know what Marko and I had done, but he made it sound so shoddy that shame filled me. Isn’t that why I’d gotten drunk last night, to get up the nerve to jump on top of Marko; to reacquaint myself with his body and forget my problems?

Gio had a way of cutting out all the bullshit and breaking things down to their most basic element. A tear trailed down my cheek and then another until I had to cover my mouth so they wouldn’t hear me sobbing.

“Get her ready to leave. I’ll go and speak with the director. What’s his name?”

What? Did he think he could make me walk away? Panic welled up in my chest and I flew down the few remaining steps.

“Where are we going?” I demanded with a glare, adopting the same facade I’d used for years to intimidate the competition and push myself to the top of the company.

Giovanni stood, his presence far more intimidating than I remembered. He bristled with primal male energy as he moved toward me like a lion stalking its prey. His deep- blue eyes shifted to a gray so dark they looked almost black. He was in a rage, and it was all I could do not to flee back up the stairs and hide behind a locked door.

He bent me back, caging me against the stairwell banister. I almost groaned when the mixed scent of leather, bergamot, forest, and wine barrels assaulted me. Home. No. Not home. Just familiar.

Then he said the one word that was my undoing, the one I’d dreamt of all the years away from the people I loved the most on the planet. “Home, sweetheart, and the company is coming with you.”